Refrigerating apparatus



June 4, 1935. H, REEVES 2,003,492

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l vNVENTOR BY Mi flww A TTORNEYS June 4, 1935. H, REEVES 2 ,003,492

REFRIGERAT I NG APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1933 S-Sheets-Sheet 2a .4 .1 L4 4 u 55 J\ J; 1k 4k J\9l J I J I '1 M a so 1. I ,86 42 9o -547 E I 9z ll /9 1 l i 1 4L INVENTOR a 1 WWAV ATTORNEY;

June 4, 1935. D H, REEVE 2,003,492

REFRI GERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3wwww A TTORNE Y3 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,003,492 REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Application July 31, 1930, SerialNo.'471,927 Renewed May 18, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularlyto cooling units for household refrigerators.

Prior to applicants invention iceless refrigf erators have been builtsimilar to the ice cooled refrigerators and in the majority of cases thecooling unit of the iceless refrigerator merely replaced the ice in theice chamber of the ice cooled refrigerator. This construction is noteconomical in its use of space in the refrigerator cabinet andfurthermore the ice freezing trays, which were situated within thecooling unit, were often in an undesirable position. Also many of thecooling units were of such a construction and in such a location thatthey were unattractive in appearance and hard to clean.

Consequently, one of the objects of the invention is to provide acooling unit of a new and attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit which iseasy to wash and keep clean.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit whichwill require a minimum amount of space within the refrigerator cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of one type of refrigerator with the door openshowing applicants improved cooling unit;

Fig. 2 is a section through a portion of the refrigerator cabinetincluding the center of the ice freezing portion of the coolingunit andshowing the box cooling portion in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, a refrigeratorcabinet having a food storage compartment in its upper portion is shown.Within the food storage compartment is a cooling unit comprising afreezing chamber 2, which rests upon the bottom of the food storagecompartment and which contains a plurality of ice trays l3 and a platetype heat absorbing member H which cools the food storage compartmentand which preferably extends above one side of this unit and forms apartition between two sides of the food storage compartment. The platetype heat absorbing member I4 is connected at its lower end to the icefreezing chamber l2 and is suspended at its upper end by the brackets l5which are bolted to the top of the food storage compartment of therefrigerator cabinet.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 for the details ofconstruction, the chamber I2 is shown having a sleeve l6 which forms aninner 5 casing and has an outwardly turned flange H at its front end.This inner casing l6 has a rear wall [8 of sheet metal having a flangeI9 around its edge which is fitted within, and welded to, the innercasing i6. Within the inner casing I6 10 are the shelves 20, 2|, and 22which are made of sheet metal and which have their side edges turned up,as indicated by the reference characters 3|, 32, and 33, and welded tothe side walls. The shelves 213, 2|, and 22 each have refrigerantpassages 23, 24, and 25 therein, formed by the welding of sheet metalmembers 26, 21, and 28, which have serpentine depressions therein of theconfiguration shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, to the under surfaceof the shelves 20, 2|, and 22. The refrigerant passages of the shelves2!! and 2| are connected by a refrigerant duct or tube 29 and therefrigerant passages 24 and 25 are connected by the refrigerant duct 30.In order to make the bottom of the assembled inner 25 casingapproximately flat and to enable the assembled inner casing to beslipped into and withdrawn from the outer casing 40 which is describedhereunder, the shelf 20 has its center portion bent upwardly, as shownat 34, so that the bottom of the sheet metal plate 26 will be raisedabove the side portions of the shelf 20 which form the supportingsurface.

For covering the inner casing l6 and for preventing the air within therefrigerator from contacting therewith, an outer casing or shield isprovided which covers the inner casing l6, as well as refrigerant ductsand valves which will be later described. The outer casing 40 has anin-turned flange 4| having gaskets 10 and H on 40 either side of it. Theinner casing I6 is adapted to slide within the outer casing or shield 40and its out-turned flange i'l rests against the gasket 10 in front ofthe flange 4| of the outer casing.

A rectangular supporting ring 12 rests against the gasket H in back ofthe flange 4| and has threaded holes therein for receiving the screws 42which pass through and bind the flanges l1 and 4| to the supporting ring12.

The front end of the freezing chamber is supported by the bracket 43which is connected to, but insulated from, the supporting ring 12. Thegasket 13 insulates the bracket 43 from the supporting ring I2. Thebracket 43 rests on the bottom of the cabinet and is fastened thereon bya cap screw 44. The rear end of the inner casingplug has a conicalrecess in its end which cois supported by a pair of brackets 45 whichare secured by bolts which pass through the flange I 9 of the rear wallI8. The inner casing I6 is insulated from the brackets 45 by the gaskets83. The outer casing or shield 40 is supported at its rear end by theflange 84 which protrudes from the rear wall of the food storagecompartment. The side flanges 85 maintain the rear end of the shield inproper lateral position. The shield is insulated from the flanges by thegasket 86.

Surrounding this outer casing, troughs 46 are provided in the bottom ofthe food storage compartment of the refrigerator for receiving condensedwater vapor and moisture which may be deposited upon the outer casing 40and which will, in that event, run down the sides of this casing. Thetrough 46 is deepened at its front end so as to provide a catch basin,as shown at 41, and provided with a drain pipe 48, which extends throughthe bottom of the food compartment,

' underneath which means may be provided for disposing of this water.

Within the rear portion of the casing 40 out of sight behind the rearwall I8 an automatic expansion valve 50 responsive to pressure of theexpanded refrigerant may be positioned. Refrigerant is conveyed to theexpansion valve from the refrigerant liquefying unit preferably in thecompartment beneath the food storage compartment by a pipe 5|. Therefrigerant liquefying unit may include a compressor driven by anelectric motor. The compressor delivers compressed refrigerant to acondenser, and from thence the refrigerant is conveyed to the expansionvalve. After passing through the expansion valve the refrigerant isconducted by the connection 52 to the refrigerant passages 23 in thelower shelf 20 in the inner casing l6 and after passing therethroughpasses upward through the vertical tube 29, through the refrigerantpassages 24 in the shelf 2|, upwardly through the vertical duct 30, andthence through the refrigerant passages 25 of the upper shelf 22. Fromthe refrigerant passages 25 in the shelf 22, the refrigerant isconducted by the conduit 53 through the rear wall I8 of the inner casingI6 and through the top of the outer casing H to the rear connection 54to the refrigerant passages in the heat absorbing, or box cooling,member I4. After passing through the refrigerant passages in the heatabsorbing member l4 and the front connection 55, the refrigerant passesthrough the top of the outer casing 4| and is returned by means of theduct 56 to the compressor.

A thermostat is held by the-bracket III on the plate member l4 and hasits lower end 92 projecting through the outer casing 46 to which lowerend a tube 93 is connected to a snap switch or the like for controllingthe operation of the motor which drives the compressor. The thermostat90 controls the operation of the compressor and associated mechanismbeneath in accordance with the temperature of the food storagecompartment so that the proper amount of refrigerant is supplied to keepthe food storage compartment at the temperature desired. a

The connection 55, as well as the connection 54, consists of a member I5which has an aperture I6 having a portion of reduced diameter 11 adaptedto fit into the opening I8 in the plate member I4 as shown in Fig. 3.The other end of this member I5 is adapted to detachably receive a screwplug I9 which has an aperture larger than the aperture 16 for receivingthe tube 56. This operates with a conical boss within the member I5. Thetube 56 passes through the screw plug I9 and has its projecting endflared out against the sides of the conical recess. When the screw plugI9 is screwed into the member I5 this flared end is held tightly betweenthe conical recess in the plug I9 and the conical boss in the member 55.This makes a tight joint and together with a gasket 8 I, which ispositioned between the member I5 and the shoulder on the screw plug I9,leakage of gaseous refrigerant is prevented. The plate member I4 and theconnection 55 are insulated from the casing 46 by the gasket 82 betweenthe member I5 and the outer casing 40 of the freezing compartment. Theconnection 54 is similarly insulated;

As stated before, the heat absorbing member is supported at both of theupper corners by the brackets I5 which are secured to the top of thefood storage compartment by the screws 66 and which are secured to themember I4 by the bolts 6|. The heat absorbing member I4 consists of twosheet metal plates each having a serpentine depression therein similarin size and shape which are assembled together with their depressionsadjacent each other and welded around the edges of the sheet metalmembers and also between the serpentine depressions within thesemembers. If desired, the sheet metal members may be made exactly thesame in order to render them interchangeable and to enable them to bemade from a single set of dies. The front edge of the heat absorbingmember I4 has a reinforcing strip 65, binding its edges thereby coveringthe welded joints, and having fastened thereto the hooks 66 which extendon both sides of the re-enforcing strip 65 for supporting the shelves 61within the refrigerator cabinet. Hooks 68 are fastened into the walls ofthe refrigerator cabinet at suitable places and cooperate with the hooks66 to support the shelves 67.

Since the ice freezing chamber is insulated from the plate type boxcooling unit and the refrigerator cabinet by gaskets heretoforedescribed and has an enclosed air space between the inner and outercasings, the temperature within the food storage compartment is notappreciably affected by the freezing of liquids as desired from time totime within the freezing chamber. Rapid freezing of liquids placedwithin the ice trays I3 takes place because the refrigerant first passesthrough the passages within the shelves upon which the ice trays I 3rest' before it is conducted to the plate type box cooling member I4.

During idle periods of the compressor the temperature of the plate typecooling member I4 rises above freezing temperature, and at this time thecondensed water vapor which is frozen or frosted thereon melts and runsdown the sides of the member l4 as well as the shield 40, is collectedin the catch basin 41, and is withdrawn through the drain connection 46.The freezing chamber, however, being insulated from the member I4, aswell as the food storage compartment, retains its cold freezingtemperature during the off cycle when the member I4 is automaticallydefrosted.

The heat absorbing or box cooling member I4 and the outer casing orshield 40 may be either coated with porcelain or enamel or plated with asuitable substance. Inasmuch as the only exposed portions of the coolingunit are the plate type box cooling member I4 and the outer casing orshield 40, all of which have broad flat surfaces,

the cooling unit may be easily cleaned. Since the shield 40 extends tothe rear wall of the food storage compartment and abuts tightlythereagainst, the necessity for cleaning the rear por-, tion of the icefreezing chamber, which would be difficult, is obviated.

In medium and large size household refrigerators the cooling unit isplaced so that the plate type box cooling member l4 serves as a centerpartition. In small household refrigerators the cooling unit is placedat the side of the refrigerator. It may also be used in commercialrefrigerator cabinets.

While the several forms of embodiment of the invention as hereindisclosed, constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus, the combination of afreezing chamber having an inner casing and a sheet metal shieldenclosing said inner casing, refrigerant passages within said innercasing, refrigerant ducts for cooling the food storage compartment of arefrigerator cabinet extending above said shield and separatedtherefrom, and means connecting said refrigerant passages within saidinner casing and said refrigerant ducts extending thereabove; saidconnecting means being insulated from said shield.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinethaving a food storage compartment therein, a freezing chamber comprisingan inner casing having refrigerant passages therein supported upon thebottom of the food storage compartment and a sheet metal shieldenclosing said inner casing, means including' a plate type coolingmember extending vertically above said shield for keeping cool the foodstorage compartment, said cooling member having integral connectionsresting upon said shield, means between said shield and said innercasing for conducting refrigerant to said refrigerant passages withinsaid inner casing, means within said shield for conducting refrigerantto said integral connections and means within said shield for conductingrefrigerant from said integral connections.

3. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinethaving a food storage compartment therein, a plate type cooling membersuspended from the top of the food storage compartment, a sheet metalfreezing chamber supported upon the bottom of said food storagecompartment, said freezing chamber having an opening therein adapted todetachably receive a portion of said cooling member, means within thefreezing chamber for conducting refrigerant to the cooling member, andmeans within the freezing chamber for conducting refrigerant from saidcooling member, both of said means being detachably connected with saidcooling member to 5. Refrigerating apparatus including a refrigeratorcabinet having a food storage compartment therein and a cooling unithaving a plurality of ice tray shelves in superposed relation supportedupon, but insulated from, the bottom of the food storage compartment,said ice tray shelves having refrigerant passages therein, an innersheet metal casing enclosing said ice tray shelves, an expansion valvepositioned to the rear of said ice tray shelves, a conduit connectingthe expansion valve and a refrigerant passage in one of the ice trayshelves, conduits between the shelves for conducting the refrigerantfrom one shelf to another, a plate type cooling member havingrefrigerant passages therein extending vertically above the ice trayshelves, said plate type cooling member having connection projectionsextending downwardly, a conduit connecting the refrigerant passage inone of the shelves with one of said connecting projections so thatrefrigerant after passing through the shelves will then pass through theplate member outer casing surrounding said inner casing but spacedtherefrom, and extending to the rear wall of the food storagecompartment, said outer casing enclosing said expansion valve and theconnecting refrigerant conduits, said projections of said plate memberresting upon the top of the outer casing, a return conduit extendingwithin the outer casing and connecting with one of the projections ofsaid plate member.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinethaving an insulated chamber therein, an evaporator supported within saidchamber for cooling same, said evaporator being spaced from the verticalside walls of the chamber and dividing said chamber into a plurality offood storage compartments, said evaporator also being spaced from ahorizontal wall of said chamber to provide communication between saidcompartments whereby the temperatures thereof are substantiallyequalized, the bottom of said insulated chamber having means beneathsaid evaporator for receiving condensed water vapor, and a drain conduitextending through the bottom wall of said insulated chamber for removingwater received in said means therefrom.

DONALD H. REEVES.

